The latter announced last week that he'll put the bike away for good once the Tour of Beijing - and the season with it - concludes, and the Pasajes native was naturally a bit emotional upon boarding the plane to Asia.

"It's a shame that Euskaltel's 20-year history will come to nothing", he told Spanish sports daily AS from the airport in Bilbao. "It's a sad feeling".

Come the end of the race, Astarloza - like many of his team-mates - will be forced to look for a new life beyond Euskaltel and the world of cycling.